Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is a multi-day reunion built around the table. Every dish carries a wish — for wealth, longevity, abundance, togetherness — and that quiet symbolism is what makes the cooking feel different from any other feast on the calendar.

What to cook for the Lunar New Year

This collection leans into the lucky-foods tradition that anchors a CNY menu. Expect golden, gilded, share-style dishes designed for a crowded table:

• Dumplings (jiaozi), folded to look like old gold ingots, for prosperity
• Long, uncut noodles for a long life
• A whole steamed fish, head and tail intact, for abundance year over year
• Crispy spring rolls, the gold-bar course
• Nian gao and tang yuan, for rising fortune and family reunion

How to plan the reunion meal

Think of it as a slow, generous evening rather than a single hero dish. Build the menu around one centerpiece — usually the fish or a whole bird — then layer in a stir-fried green, a noodle, a dumpling course, and something sweet and round to close. Many families prep dumpling fillings and sauces a day ahead so the kitchen stays calm when guests arrive.

If your weekday cooking already leans Indo-Chinese (hakka noodles, manchurian, chilli paneer), treat this tag as the more traditional cousin — recipes you reach for once a year, when the symbolism matters as much as the flavour.

For more ideas, browse stir fry recipes for fast wok dishes, or dinner party menus to round out the spread.